Britney Spears has spoken for the first time today on her lip-synching controversy in Australia, saying she came to the country for her fans.
The pop star, who opened the Australian leg of her Circus tour in Perth last Friday, had faced harsh criticism from the media with reports of disappointed fans walking out of the show.
In a statement, Spears said, "I hear there is a lot of controversy in the media about my show."
"Some reporters have said they love it and some don't. I came to Australia for my fans!"
Spears was said to be "extremely upset" by the controversy with her tour manager Paul Dainty defending her in an interview with an Australian newspaper on Monday.
"We can take heat if there's something wrong and people can review shows badly - that's something you have to live with - but to say people stormed out of the show was an absolute fabrication."
The controversy continued after Virgina Judge, the country’s Fair Trade Minister for the state of New South Wales, said Australians would not tolerate a "Mickey Mouse" performance.
She even suggested concert tickets should carry disclaimers about whether a concert will be live or mimed.
Dainty also said that it is well known that Spears mimes during her shows, insisting she has never tried to hide the fact: “It’s been all over the internet for nine months. This show is about an incredible spectacle, which it is.”
Despite the controversy Britney's 12 remaining concerts in Australia are still sold out. She is due to play again in Melbourne on Wednesday night.
Watch Britney perform her latest single here.
